I saw a few of my friends playing a game on their Instagram stories today. It required that they answered some random questions about themselves. One such question was ‘when was the last time you cried?’. Before this evening, my answer would have been September 2019 or the last time I was in an intense worship service. But on my ride home, I lost it on the bus and shed a few tears as This’l rapped his verse on the ‘Double Back’ song he was featured on by Flame. This basically typifies my relationship with good Christian art. I am usually lost for words and always in awe of the depth of revelation, the breath of the Spirit and the dexterity of the artist that is always present when I indulge in good Christian art. Feel free to classify this post as my Christian art appreciation post.

I have always been in love with art – especially literary art. From my childhood, I have been a huge fan of music too, especially rap music. I used to pride myself on the fact that there was no trending rap song I couldn’t rap along to from beginning to end. My friends knew this. They would always ask me to rap some popular songs to their hearing and I would oblige. One story I always recall and share with people as a joke is about an exercise we did in my Music and Dance class when I was in Class 5. Everybody was required to come up and sing a song. Most people went up to sing gospel songs or some popular R&B songs. We had this exercise 2 times that term. This was in the year 2000 and I was probably just 10 years old. During the first exercise, I went up to sing Sisqo’s ‘Unleash the dragon’ to the admiration of my friends. With all the controversy surrounding the lyrics of this song and the conspiracy theories, it was still the most popular song that year. During the second exercise, again, I went up with a friend of mine and we sang ‘thong song’ by Sisqo. I tell people that I didn’t even know what a thong was at that age, I only found out some years later. 

Not too long after, I started writing my own raps in jotters and on pieces of paper. Thanks to my guy (Skelly) who had a computer mic and a software that could record, we tried to record a few of those verses. I had a verse that almost all my friends could rap along to from A to Z. This made me very proud. Started rap battling in JHS, the big deal here is I could freestyle under pressure at that tender age. Throughout my Senior High School days, I used to sneak out with some of my friends to radio stations for interviews and then to the studio to record songs and then come back to school. I remember one vacation I recorded a few songs, put them on a CD as a mixtape and took it to school. I lost it when the CD was in circulation amongst my friends. I have been a (mainstream) hip-hop head for as long as I can remember until recent times.

The very moment I set foot in the university I began to take my Christian life more seriously. However, the dramatic change happened during my school’s vacation in 2010. I was bored at home and as if driven by the devil himself I was looking for ‘something’ to watch. I combed through every CD in the house until I discovered a CD that changed my life and taste in the art I consume. It belonged to my elder brother who had just traveled to the U.S to pursue his masters. I inserted the CD into the computer and there it was in all its glory, the stage performance of Hillsong Worship’s ‘Faith Hope and Love’ album. Something happened that day. I am writing 10 years later, and I can state boldly that I haven’t looked back on Hillsong music since then. I was moved by the lyrics. I prayed with the songs. I couldn’t wait to share it with my roommates and friends in school. That was when it all began.

Because of my past relationship with mainstream Hip-hop music, I never really gravitated towards its ‘Christian alternative’. Christian Hip-hop (CHH) was so corny and sounded very wack to me. I concocted biblical arguments against the genre. I even wrote and performed a poem in which I spoke against CHH. I remember having serious arguments with my roommates who were madly in love with it. They played it so much in the room that one day we had a big argument that I thought was going to put a strain on our relationship. But you know how boys are, we fight, and we makeup and become even closer. I hope they read this. During one vacation probably in 2011, the Holy Spirit ministered to me and literally the scales fell from my eyes (it literally happened like that and he spoke to me about it). I went back the following semester a huge fan of CHH. I owe my love for CHH now to my roommates and friends. Whatever blessing I have received from it I pray they receive a double portion of that.

Look at me now. I used to argue against Lecrae now I am a die-hard fan who has written reviews of his albums and songs. I used to think that hymns and worship songs were boring, but look at me now, I can hardly keep my eyes dry during worship. I spend a considerable amount of time during each worship session I’m in fighting back tears. I know it is a poor practice because the bible says we should LOVE God with all our hearts, all our soul, and all our mind. This includes emotions, so when you feel like crying during worship, know that that is probably the manifestation of what is going on in your heart at that moment. I cannot quantify how much God has comforted me through Christian art. I cannot. It wrecks me. It wrecked me this evening and so I came back home to write this. I can literally remember what I was going through at what point in my life and which song helped me through that period. When I had problems with staying pure, lust and my daunting fleshly desires it was songs like ‘Temptation’ by the 116 Clique that helped me. Now picture me last year, walking from Galloway Junction in Koforidua to Jacksons Park, playing this song and rapping aloud to it. It was an amazing experience. Also, it was a powerful song like ‘Murder me’ by Swoope that fed me with the idea that I need to be sadistic towards my flesh in order to awaken my spirit. Swoope sounded cruel in that song. He detailed his ‘evil’ desire to mortify the flesh in a way that I have never heard before. Those 2 rap verses in that song almost made him sound suicidal. He said, ‘ego straight to the guillotine big head gets chopped off’. This line has stayed with me for years. Paul said ‘those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh together with its desires and passions’. You must be intentional about it. Silence the flesh. Be wicked to it. And that is what I learned from that song.

Also, that ‘Double Back’ song by Flame ft. This’l I mentioned earlier is what triggered this post this evening. I couldn’t help it. These two rappers preached a sermon on the song about how Christians need to restore each other back to righteousness whenever any of us falls in sin. That’s the word in Galatians 6. One line moved me to tears. Flame said, ‘if my brother is riding on a flat, let me be the spare’. Wow! That is to say that if my brother has a flat tyre and he is still driving let me be his spare tyre. Now he didn’t say let me hand him my spare tyre, he literally meant you need to contort your body till it resembles a car tyre then you coil yourself around your brother’s car rim and be his spare tyre. Amazing! We are not sent to be comfort dispensers to those in sorrow. We are supposed to be their comfort. That’s the logic behind that line.

Somewhere in 2014, I was harboring some resentment against someone for hurting me emotionally. I felt like the most stupid person ever created for allowing my heart to go on a wild goose chase in a desert. I was bitter and hurt. Too embarrassed about it to tell a soul. My friends are probably going to read this and be shocked. In those times, it was Andy Mineo’s song ‘bitter’ that helped me through it. He spoke about failed relationships with women and the sore relationship he had with his dad. I also really went through some hard times in 2018. Scratch that, from 2015 till 2019, life hasn’t been easy for me at all. I pray and the problems disappear like magicians and reappear in new clothes. As if my prayer was part of a magic act to make them vanish and reappear in new apparel to the applause of the audience and to my disdain. One of the songs that got me through that season was KB’s ‘Sing to you’. The highlight of that song is how KB illustrates to his listeners that present in the Godhead at this very moment is a man who experienced the pains we go through in this world. This is Jesus. He gave a command to his followers to go and take up their crosses and follow him, and before we could obey this command, he went ahead to carry his and died on it. As such, when I pray to this God, I know he understands my plight and hears me when I call. I read about Jesus’ first encounter with his disciples after he resurrected. One thing I observed was how he seemed eager to prove to them his humanity although he appeared in his glorified body. Our God can feel our pain when we call out to him because he has felt our pain in the flesh before.

I saw a Lecrae interview by DJ WadeO some years ago in which he was asked whether he listened to worship music often. He said not really, and that was because KB’s songs ‘get him in that (worship) space’. I understood what he meant perfectly and feel the same way about KB’s songs. However, for me, I still go in for worship music. I love worship songs with onion essence that just make me shed tears like I misplaced something valuable. I have no mentor or anybody ‘discipling’ me directly as some people have Spiritual mothers and fathers. I have several friends who are strong in the LORD I can speak to though. But sometimes when I need encouragement, which I tend to need every so often, I get it from worship songs. It is overwhelming, Hillsong’s ‘Seasons’ and ‘Highlands’ have helped me tremendously overcome some tough seasons and mountains in my life in these past 2 years. I just want to send a big shout out to worship songwriters and ministers. They create the soundtrack of our lives every time they step in the studio to record. And for me, they create the soundtrack of my prayer life because I love to pray with some worship music playing in the background unless I get strict instructions from the Holy Spirit not to. When I wake up to pray, I’m usually spoilt for choice as to which album to play. I’m usually like ‘so what’s it gon be today? Joe Mettle’s “Wind of Revival” or Nathaniel Bassey’s “The King is coming”. Hillsong or Bethel Revival choir? Maybe my worship playlist (which has songs from a wide range of gospel artists from different parts of the world)’. I basically go through that train of thought every single time before I pray.

I am a spoken word artist myself, so I binge on good Christian spoken word as well. My favorites are the Poets in Autumn poets. Their skill, message and level of depth in revelation all coupled with impeccable stage performances have impacted my life in a million ways. I started writing spoken word poetry because I saw some of these people do it for the Lord with a high level of excellence and anointing. I desired it earnestly. And worked at it. I love doing spoken word poetry. I am still surprised people are blessed by the stuff I write. It is because the writing process can sometimes feel like a mundane activity devoid of the leading of the Spirit. But hey, your feelings are sometimes the poorest detectors of the move of the Spirit. What I feel has nothing to do with what the Spirit intends to do in the lives of people with this poem I just wrote.

I want to also send a special shout out to Christian authors and novelists. I have read several authors from whom I have learned deep Christian lessons. I also learn a lot from their writing skills and incorporate all of that into my own writing. I was once at an event where one of the Chronicles of Narnia stories was being staged. As Aslan returned from the dead, half of the audience had their hands in the air like it was a worship concert. My heart almost exploded in worship as well. All because, a master writer (C.S Lewis), recrafted the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection in a way that lays emphasis on Jesus’ ability to avoid the cross or refuse to go through with it yet his willingness to be sacrificed like a lamb. I caught this when I saw Aslan willingly lay down his life for a very stubborn boy.

Big shout outs to the Bible Project for all that they do to make the bible simpler to understand and the stories easier to relate to. There are so many Christian artists who have impacted my life positively, but time and space are not my best allies at this moment. God bless all Christian artists who are doing the work of God with a high level of dedication, perseverance and discipline. God bless you. The Spirit is truly working through all of you. I am an artist and my desire is to see people blessed by my work. I just want to thank the many who appreciate those poems that I write, I wish to improve and even impact the world like my heroes in the Christian Arts ministry have done. 

Hillsong lyrics are always steep in poetic language and that is what I like about their songs. ‘Seasons’ is no different. In the first verse, the songwriter, Benjamin Hasting, introduces us to harsh realities that humans face using the imagery of winter. In the first four lines he says:

Like the frost on a rose

Winter comes for us all

Oh how nature acquaints us

With the nature of patience.

The imagery of frost on a rose sends chills down my spine. The rose represents everything that is lovely and beautiful in nature. Unfortunately, the rose plant finds itself in the winter, snow has fallen and left frost on the rose petals. This is why the writer goes on to say that ‘winter comes for us all’. It means bad seasons come for all of us – even the most adorable and lovely people amongst us. One of the greatest deceptions is to think that you are the only one going through hard times. That thought alone in itself is an additional burden.  I am reminded of the comforting words of the Apostle Peter when he said in 1 Peter 5:9 that, ‘…the same kind of suffering is being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world’. Winter comes for US all indeed. What should be our reaction to the winter seasons of our lives? Well, let’s go back to the first 4 lines of the song and the imagery of the rose in the winter. The songwriter goes on to say that nature acquaints us with the nature of patience. Basically, all he is saying is, a close study of nature teaches us what it means to be patient through harsh seasons. One of such harsh seasons has already been illustrated by the imagery of a probably lone rose plant, standing in the snow and covered by frost.

Fig.1 (A giant sequoia tree)

When the songwriter said ‘like a seed in the snow, I’ve been buried to grow’ we are likely to overlook his choice of words and what they mean in the song. Notice he didn’t say the seed was PLANTED in the snow – which would have made more sense, agriculturally – but he said the seed had been BURIED to grow. First of all, anything that is buried isn’t expected to grow. Secondly, the anticipation of growth is the reason why we don’t describe the act of putting a seed in the soil as burial but as planting. Therefore, we can conclude that in this scenario either the planter had no hope of seeing a tree sprouting out of the ground in due season or the seed thought it was buried to die. As children of God, our planter is God himself and we are the seeds. When God puts you in the soil, it is up to you to see it as the agricultural activity of planting that it is, or you can see it as your burial service. Often we see it as the latter. We get lost in our comfort zone to the extent that when seasons change we think we are doomed forever. Planting shares some similarities with burial. However, trust your planter and believe with all your heart that though it may look like a burial, it is indeed a planting. If you insist that it is a burial, then please agree with the songwriter when he said that you have been buried to grow and not to rot in the soil. Remember Jesus said ‘unless a grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit’.

The promises of God are ye and amen. When God speaks, the word doesn’t return to him void, but it accomplishes the purpose for which it was sent. It is as if God sends his word on a mission expecting it to only report back to him when the mission is complete. God’s promise is loyal, from seed to Sequoia, as the songwriter puts it. Through the varying seasons of our lives, God’s word remains the same. Seasons will come and go but God’s word will remain the same. For heaven and earth shall pass away but his word will never pass away. When we come to the full understanding of this, we can boldly declare together with David that ‘thy word o Lord, is settled in heaven’. It is never changing. It is loyal.

The chorus of the song says that:

Though the winter is long, even richer, the harvest for me

Though my waiting prolongs, even greater your promise for me like a seed

I believe that my season will come

By this, we are reminded of the fact that the longer it takes for God’s word to come to pass in our lives the bigger the testimony. The longer it takes for the seed to sprout out the richer the harvest. Ben Hasting, here equates the promises of God to a seed and we know seeds are planted to grow. It is amazing how in the first stanza of the song the songwriter equates the seed to himself (a child of God) when he said ‘I’ve been buried to grow’ but in the chorus, the seed represents the promises of God. It is because as children of God we are a promised generation of people. In these last days, we are the manifestation of many Old Testament prophecies and promises. Being co-heirs with the promised Messiah makes us a promised generation as well. Scripture does not mince words when it says that ‘creation earnestly awaits the manifestation of the sons of God’. Creation is waiting for the manifestation of the children of God. The songwriter informs us that nature acquaints us with the nature of patience and scripture says that creation (nature) awaits (patiently) the manifestation of the children of God. We, as believers, are to learn the nature of patience from creation that is waiting for our manifestation.

The first two lines of the second verse take our eyes off the harsh season and direct it at something that totally contradicts it. It says ‘Lord, I think of your love, like the low winter sun’. The winter sun is a contradicting imagery of the winter season. However, the sun is low. Although it is there, it appears to be present not in its full force. This represents the times when we are sure of God’s existence but we can’t seem to see him at work in all his might in our lives. Looking at the low winter sun will make you crave the sunny days of summer. However, it is a matter of time for seasons to change. In times of trouble, it is best to fix your eyes on the slightest glimmer of hope. If it is a flicker in the bush, look at it. If it is a low winter sun, keep your mind stayed on it. This is why the song goes on to say that “. As I gaze I am blinded, In the light of your brightness”. Light is blinding by nature. God’s light blinds you to the things that should stay out of your sight that you have been focusing on. The love of God should consume our very thoughts and meditations always. The hope it gives us is what we need in the winter seasons of our lives. It sustains us till the promise is fulfilled. Just as manna was a sustenance for the Israelites before they entered the promised land, so is the low winter sun to us during our winter seasons.

The song again goes on to say that “Like a fire to the snow, I’m renewed in your warmth. Melt the ice of this wild soul, till the barren is beautiful”. This is what meditating on God’s love does to your cold, wild soul. There is renewal in the love of God. There is a restoration of beauty in the love of God.

Often I have found that the bridges in Hillsong songs are lyrics I want to continually speak over my life or chant throughout the day. The bridge in this particular song starts with the following lines:

I can see the promise, I can see the future

You are the God seasons and I’m just in the winter

If all I know of harvest is that it’s worth my patience

If you are not done working, God, I’m not done waiting

I am particularly intrigued by the second line that suggests that God is the God of seasons and we are merely trapped in one of them. This literally means our winter seasons are temporal. We serve the God of all seasons who is capable of changing seasons. Therefore, the harvest is worth our patience dear friends. Every farmer will attest to the fact that the joy of harvest is a feeling worth waiting patiently for. Scripture describes Christ as the ‘lamb who was slain from the foundations of the earth’ meaning he was destined to be sacrificed way before the earth was created. This goes to show that God works on the solution before the problem manifests. Therefore by saying if God is not done working, I doubt the writer wants to suggest that God is now working. He is talking from a human point of view. If the harvest isn’t here yet, then it seems God is still working on it or preparing to launch the harvest. Until that happens, I am not done waiting. Until the manifestation of our harvest, we should be bold enough to declare that we are not done waiting. Don’t you run out of patience! God will perfect everything that concerns us.

The bible says that God watches over his word to perform it. Ben Hasting put it in a different way. He said ‘you can see my promise, even in the winter. You are the God of greatness even in the manger’. God can see the promise he made you even in the winter. Although you have either forgotten it or lost sight of it, God is still watching over his word and waiting for the appointed time to fulfill it.

Getting to the end of the song we are reminded of the greatest promise ever made (Jesus Christ) in these lines, ‘If all I know of seasons, is that you take your time. You could have saved us in a second, instead, you sent a child’. God could have sent a 200 ft. sequoia in all of its splendor and majesty, but he sent a seed. Why? Because he is the God of seasons. Why would he be the God of seasons and not trust in seasons? He sent a child knowing that in due time, that child would grow to become a sequoia and bring salvation to the whole world. Like a seed, Jesus was sown, for the sake of us all. Can we ever get to the point where we fully understand the mystery of God himself trapped in the small frame of a baby?

It is sometimes impossible to fathom that an enormous entity was once non-existent or not as big as it is today. It is unbelievable to see who Jesus is right now and imagine that he was once the baby in the manger that the shepherds and wise men worshipped. The songwriter does well to remind us that he is the God of greatness, even in the manger and also that ‘from Bethlehem’s soil, grew Calvary’s Sequoia’. Hallelujah! The seed God planted in Bethlehem grew to become the sequoia at Calvary under which we all gather for shade. In reverse, never forget that the Sequoia at Calvary was once a little seed at Bethlehem. If ever you think your life won’t amount to anything, think about these things I’ve said. That no matter how big and tall the Sequoia is today, it was once a seed.

Bible References

John 12:24
2nd Corinthians 1:20
Isaiah 55:11
Matthew 24:35
Psalm 119:89
Romans 8:19
Revelation 13:8
Jeremiah 1:12

First of all, the book does things to you in a subtle way that you might not notice how slowly your views on issues are shifting. For me the book is a redefinition of the word ‘unashamed’. I had it all wrong all along. For some funny reason I feel even Lecrae had it wrong initially. I honestly thought being an unashamed Christian only meant being unapologetic about your faith. ‘Unashamed’ for me meant ‘unembarrassed’. It felt like a tag I could wear boldly on my chest in a world where it isn’t too cool to be Christian. I had it all wrong. From the book, I learnt that being unashamed meant not being afraid to accept your vulnerability and the fact that you are daily in dire need of a savior. Being unashamed according to the way I defined it previously puffs you up by inflating your heart with stinking pride. You can easily become judgmental if you are not careful.

You know how we often quote the parts of the verses we like and leave the rest out? That practice is deadly. Romans 1:16, which is the mantra of the 116 movement spearheaded by Lecrae and his cronies is one of such verses. The first part of the verse says ‘I am unashamed of the gospel…’ and this is all most of us care about. The next few words changed my understanding of the term ‘unashamed’ and put things into perspective for me. The verse goes on to say that ‘… for it (The Gospel) is the power of God unto salvation to them that believe; first to the Jew and then to the Greek’. How did I miss this part? The gospel transcends cultures. The gospel cannot be put in a cultural box. The writer of the book of Romans isn’t ashamed of the gospel because it can be as relevant and potent in any other culture as it is in the Jewish one. How did I miss this? Being unashamed doesn’t merely mean you are unembarrassed to be the only Christian in the room, it means you recognize the fact that the power of God could be as potent in other people’s lives as much as it is in yours.

Christianity is not Jewish-Culture Assimilation

I often say that ‘Christianity is not Jewish-Culture assimilation’. We are not supposed to learn and practice the way the Jews live because we are Christians. We are free to express our faith in God in our cultural context. It has already been proven from scripture in the previous paragraph that the gospel transcends cultures, but here is the thing, the gospel doesn’t walk on its two feet from place to place. Jesus knew that. That is why he sent his disciples on their mission trips and instructed them to make disciples of all nations (cultures). This sounds to me like a command to depart from your comfort zone and mingle with cultures you are not too familiar with while proselytizing. Remember the gospel is the power of God first to the Jew and then to the Greek? For some reason the Jews – I am using ‘Jews’ here metaphorically – are too proud to accept a gospel that transcends cultures. They want it to be for them and them alone. Is it not a shame that Jesus had more problems with ‘Church folks’ than with unbelievers? Is it not a shame that Lecrae is experiencing the same thing in 2016? Why is he getting flak for addressing social issues? Many people don’t understand that he is doing the exact same thing that the apostles did – especially Paul. If the gospel must influence people of all cultures, the work will be done when men avail themselves to be used. To me this is what Lecrae – together with the many like him – is doing. He is a man so definitely he isn’t flawless but all that matters is he is accepted by God.

So the biggest lesson I picked up while reading the book is in Page 101. The lesson is built on a discussion Jesus once had with his disciples. He asked them who men thought he was and went on to ask who they (his disciples) thought he was. Simon said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God’. Jesus was so astounded by Simon’s answer that he replied, ‘Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it’. The rock on which Jesus said he would build his church is in the response that Peter gave. Christ was only saying that the foundation of his church would be this revelation: that he (Christ) is the Son of the living God. Coincidentally ‘Peter’ also means rock. Therefore many assume Jesus was saying he would build his church using Peter as the foundation. Nope! Jesus was playing on words by mentioning ‘Peter’ and then going on to say ‘the rock’ in the same sentence. Jesus was dropping punchlines on the disciples and I can’t even tell if they got it.

Anyway, the lesson is in what Jesus said. He was going to build his church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Initially I thought this meant something else. Maybe ‘gates’ there was used metaphorically to represent the tricks of the devil. That doesn’t even make sense and I just didn’t pay attention to it enough to rethink it. Gates keep people out of a specific location. Lecrae said it best, ‘Gates are not weapons; they don’t attack people or things. They are defenses.’ How many times haven’t we heard that the devil is on the attack? Which is true anyway. But if Jesus said he was going to build a church so strong the gates of hell could not stand against it, it means he is building a church that is on the offensive. A church that is entering hell to snatch anything that is redeemable. This reminds me of the verse in Psalm 24 which says that ‘Lift up your heads O ye GATES and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors and let the King of Glory come in.’ This is what Jesus is talking about. ‘Hell’ here doesn’t mean the place of damnation in eternity but every place, country, industry, field of study, career, establishment, movement etc. that the devil is holding people captives in. The gates of that hell will not prevail against the church that Jesus has built. We are on the offensive Church! If the movie industry is glorifying the works of Satan, we need Christians there. Just a few weeks ago I watched an interview of Mel Gibson in which he said ‘I made the ultimate superhero movie when I made the Passion of the Christ’. That’s what I’m talking about! You say hip hop is too profane, misogynistic etc. cool. We need somebody from the church to step in and let his light shine away the gloom. Big ups to Lecrae for the work he is doing. ‘Oh rap battles on the streets is way too crass and profane’, well that’s the reason why we have Street Hymns actively battling without cussing or using violent language. He laces each verse with biblical allusions so beautifully. How cool is that? ‘This will not have much impact’, you might say. But wait for it. Wait until a whole bunch of people start testifying to how their lives are being changed because some Christians refused to remain defensive and are rather on the offensive to reach out to the lost souls and the perverted art forms.

At the end of the day I am just happy with what Lecrae is doing. I don’t even agree with everything he says or does but I look up to the guy. Sometimes I hop onto Lecrae’s instagram and facebook pages just to read the insults rained on him by Christians. It is all too pathetic. His latest single ‘Can’t Stop Me Now’ highlights how depressed he has been over some of the comments that people pass concerning stuff they know nothing about. Shame on us! Would it not be much more beneficial if you went on your knees and said a prayer for the man? It is easy to see the flaws of one standing in the spotlight so be very gracious in your criticism. Because one of these days you will stand in the grandest spotlight before a cloud of witnesses in heaven and you won’t be judged by how much you pointed out others’ mistakes, but by what you did. May you not be found wanting.

There is good news though. It appears the wait for the release of Naa Kronkron’s debut album ‘This Kinda Love’ will be over soon. After she dropped the title track ‘This kinda love’ some months ago I expect tons of surprises when the album is finally here. On 1^st October, she is dropping another single called ‘More’  on which she features Abigail Koran. We are indeed inching closer to the album release. I have been privileged to listen to the song and I must say, ‘amazing’ doesn’t begin to describe it. She literally poured her heart out on the song. Naa Kronkron said in the promo vid for the album that ‘each song on the album talks about what I have been through’. We artists can come up with the most brilliant pieces about issues we haven’t been through and make it sound so real to our audience. It is easy for me to tell the difference between a piece that means a lot to an artist and one he/she merely made up because a surge of inspiration hit him/her. But ‘More’ is very authentic. The song is a prayer.

I take a keen interest in the lyrics of songs I listen to. The lyrics are good when they convey the very feelings of the songwriter. In the song ‘More’, Naa did that. No verbosity. No attempt to throw in words and expressions that have no correlation with how she is feeling. She makes her hunger for a deeper relationship with God look so appealing to the extent that her listeners would yearn for that too. The song begins with these lines:

Spirit Come/ Take your place/ in my heart of hearts I pray

Pour like fire/ Rushing wind/ Come and fill this void in me.

There is this saying that ‘there is a God-shaped void in all of us that only God can fill’. He created us and carved out his abode in our heart so we can invite him in. Men have tried to fill this void with things that won’t fit. Pleasure. Pride. Success. These things will tire you. Only God can fill that space. This song is nothing short of a humble request for the bonafide occupant of our hearts to take his place. It is a recognition of the fickle nature of the human heart. How we can go chasing after things that really don’t matter. The song paints the picture of a person with a contrite heart and outstretched arms reaching out to God.

Naa goes on to sing:

I need you more Lord/

Each and every day, more/

Totally yielding all, I place them at your feet.

This is the part that gets me every time I hear it. I am reminded of countless stories in the bible. From the 24 elders who cast their crowns on the floor before God who is seated on his throne. To Mary who washed the feet of the Savior with expensive oil and wiped it with her hair. Then especially to the Samaritan woman who left the bucket she had come to draw water with at the feet of Jesus and ran back into the city to announce that she had met the Messiah. She had received more than she came for. She came to draw water but met the ‘Living Water’ himself. What more could she ask for? We can have more of God when we willingly place the things in our hands on the floor. The voice from the burning bush told Moses to drop his rod. This is what the song is telling us to do. Those things we deem valuable in our lives are the very things we are expected to put at the feet of God. The earth is his footstool anyway; everything earthly is under his foot. In ‘yielding all’ and placing it all at his feet, we are offering worship in such a unique and authentic way. The song ‘More’ is the genuine heart cry of one who wants to go deeper in her relationship with the Lord. The songwriter is simply not satisfied with the level of intimacy she has with her Maker. Instead of getting complacent, she is yearning for more. I would love to have that too: a deeper relationship with God.

The song will definitely be the soundtrack of the lives of the many who hear it. It is soft and soothing. This is a song for the broken, the contrite heart and for those that hunger for more of God. 1^st October is a few days away. Please look out for the release of the song and make it a point to give it a listen, your life won’t be the same afterwards.